Region Code and DVDCommercial DVDs are typically encoded for the region that they were released in. This is how producers maintain control over their copyright in international markets. This is a problem for foreign language teachers since they frequently buy a DVD in a foreign country and when they get home they are unable to use it. There are however, "Region-Free" DVD players which allow one to play any region coded DVD. Look on the packaging for "Region 0" or "All Region.""Code-free" DVDDVDs can also be coded for regional video output standards (PAL SECAM or NTSC). If the picture scrolls or "flips," then you probably have a DVD that expects to be played on a PAL standard TV or DVD player. Some DVD players are able to translate PAL and NTSC output to NTSC (US) televisions, and some cannot. |